Italian Glamour: The Essence of Italian Fashion, From the Postwar Years to the Present Day

What an amazingly wonderful and glorious surprise and what a gift Italian Glamour is to those of us whose lives are steeped in fashion. Even though the title says it all, so many books on the subject of fashion ignore the beginning glory days of Italian fashion. Italian Glamour is a reminder for some of us and will be a shock to others to learn that Armani, Prada,Valentino and the like were not the “founding fathers” of Italian fashion.

Quinto and Tinarelli have compiled a very comprehensive view of the roots of Italian fashion and how the industry was born in the post WWII era. What might have been a fact-laden, even pedantic narrative comes off as a very personal telling, almost to the point of where you might think you are eavesdropping on a rather intelligent conversation on the subject of fashion. In essence the book is equally educational, illuminating, and entertaining.

This “diary” contains a boat load of information pertaining to these glory days of fashion, including designers who are rarely spoken of today in favor of so many French designers who seem to grab all the limelight.

It is refreshing to see the names and work of Fabiani, Albini, Galitzine, Fontana, Capucci, Lancetti, Forquet, Carosa, and so many more who were so crucial and integral to fashion as we know it today.

The authors also remind us of the publications that catapulted both designers and fabric mills to worldwide attention. Simply said, these were heady times for fashion and these magazines were equally as potent as any Vreeland edited publication in the USA.

The physical presentation of this volume is just fabulous. The size of the book and quality of photographs are far beyond the norm. What seems to be so amazing is that the majority of the clothes are shown or photographed on dress forms/mannequins, which usually comes off as flat and stale, but due to the impeccable presentation these come off almost as convincingly as if they were on actual people.

There are no details omitted as gloves, shoes, and accessories are paid attention to as well as the varied poses of the mannequins. What it shows you is that so much more can be done when authors and editors go the distance rather than just dressing a form. Along with these individual “presentations” there are the actual magazine spreads that contained the original hightlighted styles.

This is a book to be highly praised and recommended. The appeal will vary depending on what you hope to gain from the reading. If you actually read it, then you are assured to have your fashion intelligence increased. If you are just looking for visual stimulation then this will satisfy that. And lastly, if you want to learn about the “family tree” of fashion then Italian Glamour is a must!

Jeffrey Felner is a dedicated participant and nimble historian in the businesses of fashion and style. Decades of experience allow him to pursue almost any topic relating to fashion and style with unique insight and unrivaled acumen.